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A small boat pulls up alongside a stone jetty. It bobs up and down in the waves, as suitcases and passengers are precariously unloaded. A walk up a sloping grassy hill looms above them and they start regretting all the unnecessary items they packed in their heavy cases. Seagulls call and carelessly soar above the boat. They have no such things to weigh them down.

One of the oldest cities in the United States, ‘The City on the Hill’ is home to MIT, Matt Damon many sites of historical interest. With so much to see, it can be easy to be overwhelmed and as exploring a new place can be an expensive business, here are my tips for the best things to do in Boston when travelling on a student budget.

When three sisters turn sixteen, eighteen and twenty-one in the same year it seems appropriate to do something fittingly mature and sophisticated to celebrate. But who wants cocktail bars and spa breaks when you can spend a week in Disneyland Paris! For my sisters and I this seemed like the better option, so we set off on the Eurostar for a magical break of childhood reminisces.

With Taylor Swift blaring out of my headphones, I arrived in the city that doesn’t sleep. Rather fittingly, I hadn’t slept. An eight hour bus drive from Virginia, with the person sitting next to you snoring unnecessarily loudly, is not a recipe for relaxation. But, undeterred, I set about trying to cram as many experiences as possible into one weekend in the Big Apple. Here are my top ten suggestions for a trip to NYC!

I spent my third year studying abroad at the University of Richmond. With an early August start date, it was the perfect opportunity to visit my St Andrews friends in their hometowns. Chicago was my first stop, with an airport arrival fittingly baptised with grilled cheese and Arnold Palmers. In the USA for the first time, I was marvelling at everything from traffic lights to the sound of the cicadas, but here are some holiday highlights and travel suggestions that extend beyond road signs and critters!

If you have a day to spare, exchange Fife for Perthshire and let the beauty of the Southern Highlands soothe your mid-semester blues. In just an hour and a half, you will be surrounded by Pitlochry’s beautiful canvas of graceful trees and sparkling water.

When travelling, it can be hard to stay healthy. It takes extra effort to schedule regular exercise, and with so many new foods to try, self restraint tends to go out of the window. But when I spent a fortnight in Norway this summer, I was determined to make the trip a healthy one. It was not the sunniest of summer vacations, but the beautiful fjords and mountains more than made up for the Icelandic drizzle. To get a proper taste of the country, I traveled between four locations: Oslo, Bergen, Ålesund and Flåm. Here are my tips for making each stop a happy and healthy one!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a fourth year in St Andrews, in possession of a car, must be in want of an adventure. Sadly, the minimal class hours of an arts student does not correlate to the vast expanse of free time one might hope for.

After realising that crossing the channel, passing through France and driving through Belgium would be quicker than my semesterly commute to St. Andrews, it seemed high time to visit the Netherlands. Amsterdam is a staple destination on any St Andrews students’ travel bucket list, but there is so much more to explore than just that one city.

Already feeling the need to burst the bubble? Owl Eyes has the perfect day trip for you for you. Take a short bus ride to Pittenweem and let the sea breezes blow your troubles away! Pittenweem is one of Fife’s beautiful coastal towns and is one of the most active fishing villages in the area. The village is about a 40 minute bus drive from St. Andrews (you’ll want to get on the X60 or 95 buses) and a 20 minute drive by car.